Common Problems with a Morris Minor

The Morris Minor was a popular economical and affordable car of the late 40s to the mid 60s. Given that the last ones rolled of the production in around the turn of the 1970s, they are getting a bit long in the tooth. If you are thinking of buying a Morris Minor, you should really seek the help of an expert to avoid buying a pig-in-a-poke or worse, a dangerous car but here are some of the common problems that we know of.

One common problem with a Morris Minor problem arises if you don’t use your vehicle frequently. The Brake master cylinders tend to seize up unles they are used. There are a couple of solutions to this, firstly, drive your car more often. Secondly, it is possible to convert the front original drum brakes to discs. This is best done using a servo to assist braking but if you can’t run to that, the level of braking will be pretty much the same as with the drums but will be less likely to seize.

The Morris Minor, in common with most classic cars, suffers badly from rust. Some of the known bad areas are around the headlights and next to the doors on the front wings, bottom of the boot lid and inside the boot right at the back on the body floor, lower part of door (externally and underneath. The sub frame or chassis may be corroded or otherwise damaged if the door gaps are not even. As usual, the sills tend to be rusty spots too.

The chassis rails are prone to fatigue and corrosion, they may be patched which could render the vehicle unsafe so make sure that if you are buying a Morris Minor, it needs checking carefully.

One of the biggest problems that you might face though is getting replacement parts, particularly for gearboxes.